The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved new rules for subdivisions and zoning changes for the A2 (general agriculture district) at its meeting on Monday night.
The subdivision changes, which are now part of the Unified Development Code, include a five-year waiting period before property can be split again, and a new “family split” option for residents requesting parcels. That’s an increase from the former one-year waiting period in Oglethorpe County.
The changes came after the commission agreed on a 90-day moratorium at its June meeting in order to review and revise rezoning ordinances.
“The commissioners were concerned about how fast properties were being split,” said Jeff Sharp, director of planning, zoning and compliance. “So they asked for the moratorium, which was over tonight, and asked us to rewrite the ordinances.”
In the family split, property owners can do up to four splits per parent parcel in 10 years, and afterward, must sign a deed restriction stating that the property can’t be sold to a non-family member for seven years without penalty.
The board also approved acreage changes in the A2 (general agriculture district).
In the county’s more rural areas (sometimes referred to as the “Back 40”), the minimum lot size is 20 acres, while the lots in the more densely populated areas are 10 acres.
Lots on dirt roads must be 25 acres.
Sharp said the acreage change is about “protecting the integrity of that ‘Back 40’.”
In addition, commissioners passed a resolution eliminating the requirement for mobile home decals.
The decals required taxpayers who owned prebilled mobile homes to display an adhesive plastic decal issued by the tax office once taxes for the home were paid.
In the past, taxpayers complained about the display requirement, and now, the decal has become an unnecessary and time-consuming expense for the county, said Dawn Scarborough, Oglethorpe County tax commissioner.
Scarborough said the resolution will simplify the collection process, but not affect how mobile homeowners pay their taxes, as the tax office will continue to verify taxes paid in the same manner it tracks other property and homes.
“I think it’ll save the county money,” District 1 Commissioner Howard Sanders said. “And I’ve never understood why we needed them to start with.”
The board also discussed continued runoff and flood damage to surrounding properties near the Timberland Solar Project.
Runoff continues to affect nearby landowners and property, leading the board to raise the possibility of revoking its conditional use permit.
The county issued a stop work order to RWE in January 2024, in response to unaddressed violations that raised concerns about environmental impact, public safety and the project’s future, according to that document.
RWE representatives attended a commission meeting this past February and made assurances earlier this year that it would correct the issues.
“I wish we could turn the clock back,” Smithonia resident John Robertson said during the meeting.
In other business, the BOC:
- Unanimously approved Marnie Carnes’ requested variance in District 5 for the side yard setback requirement from 20 feet to 12 feet for a storage building/sewing room.
- Unanimously approved a 30-day extension on an existing 60-day moratorium for new poultry houses.
- Assured Doug Griffin of Upper Room Athens that it would approve a temporary use application in time to hold a gospel event called Field of Worship at 1085 Crawford-Smithonia Road on Oct. 10-12.